Umbrella construction



July 5, 1949. D. M. COHEN UMBRELLA CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 7, 1945 IN V EN TOR. DA woM; COHEN ATTORNEX Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UMBRELLA CONSTRUCTION David M. Cohen, Long Beach, N. Y.

Application December 7, 1945, Serial No. 633,302

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an improved umbrella construction, and its object is to provide a simple and inexpensive arrangement for interconnecting the ferrule of an umbrella and the fabric of its cover.

In the construction of women's umbrellas in common use the ferrules are attached to the ends of the shanks and are easily displaced and lost. According to my invention the ferrule is permanently affixed to the fabric and the foregoing difliculty is overcome. Further objects are to simplify the operation of assembling parts of an umbrella and to provide a leak-proof connection between the ferrule and the fabric cover.

These and other objects of the invention will appear in the following specification, in which I will describe some structures in which it is embodied, and point out its novel features in claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a part of an umbrella which is made according to and embodies my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of some of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken on the line 22 of the latter figure;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a part of a grommet embedded in a ferrule, a portion of the latter being shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the other member of the grommet;

Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of a structural modification, which also embodies this invention.

Another modification is shown in Figs. 6 and 7, of which Fig. 6 is a side elevation of an upper grommet member set into a ferrule, a part of which is shown in section; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of a lower grommet member formed to fit the device shown in Fig. 6.

l designates a ferrule, which may be made of a plastic or other suitable material. part of this ferrule forms a cylindrical pocket H, into which a plurality of ribs l2 parallel with the axis of the pocket may extend. Below the pocket the ferrule flares outwardly to form a space l3. The base of the ferrule, designated by the reference numeral I4, is transverse to the central axis of the ferrule and is preferably formed, as shown, with annular corrugations.

20 designates generally an upper grommet member which has at its upper end a flange 2|,

The upper which extends outwardly and is embedded in the passes through a central opening I5 in the base of the ferrule. The lower part of the cylinder 22 may be divided into a plurality of angularly spaced parallel prongs 23, which are pointed at their ends, as shown at 24. One of the prongs is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, bent outwardly at 23A.

25 is the lower grommet member. This is in the form of a circular ring having a central opening 26, which fits over the lower part of the cylinder 22 or the prongs 23. This ring is transversely curved, as shown at 21, to conform to the contour of the base I 4 of the ferrule.

30 designates the fabric cover of the umbrella, and 40 designates its shank.

In assembling the device, the ferrule is placed over the center of the fabric 30 and the latter is pierced by the lower part of the cylinder 22 or by the prongs 23. The grommet member 25 is then placed over the lower part of the cylinder 22 or the prongs 23, and their parts are pressed together in the usual manner, thus forcing part of the upper grommet member outwardly under the lower grommet member and affixing them permanently together with the fabric.

When the lower part of the upper grommet member is in the form of prongs, a part of the fabric may extend across the space between the prongs. This part may be pierced and then the shank is forced into the ferrule. The part of the fabric between the prongs will be pushed into the space H), and the part of the fabric immediately below this space will be firmly clamped between the inner surface of the cylindrical part 22 of the upper grommet member and the shank 40.

When the shank 40 is of wood or other deformable material, the ribs I2 will be indented into it, as shown in'Fig. 2. This will prevent any possible relative rotation between the ferrule and the shank. If desired, a ccmentitious material may be put into the ferrule before the shank is inserted.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5. the ferrule 10A is an integral structure, preferably of metal, with prongs 23A surrounding and extending below a central opening I5A in the base MA, which is preferably corrugated, as shown. The manner in which this ferrule is applied to the fabric and shank obviously is similar to that already described.

In Fig. 6 the upper grommet member 2llA has an outwardly extending flange 2 IA, which is embedded in the lower part of a ferrule body [0B and has a downwardly extending hollow cylindrical part 22A, in the lower part of which are 3 a plurality of slits 22B. The opening I5B in the body is of larger diameter than the part 22A, so that an annular space is formed between them.

The lower grommet member 25A is in the form of a short hollow cylinder 26A, which fits over the cylinder 22A and into the space between the latter and the opening I5B. It has also a flange 21A, which cooperates with the base of the body IOB.

In assemblinggthisgdevice,;;the fa'bric 30A: is placed inthe space between the cylindenJ-Z ZA-and the opening I 513 before the lower grommet member is applied. The latter is affixed to the upper grommet member in the usual manner.

By the use of this invention the operation of assembly is expedited. The ferrule;iss,irremovably applied to the fabric and a leak proof assembly is formed.

Various modifications in constructiom rnode of operation, method anduse of an invention may ,and do occur to others,.respeciallywafterbenefiting hfrom knowledge of such disclosure as; that .herein Jpresented v.of; the principles involved,v but ,-'.the inventionitselflis not confinedto the present showing.

=Iclaim:

1. An umbrella structure, comprising a body in ,-the; form of .a hollow circular-umbrella ferrule having anenlarged transverse base with a circular opening. therein a fabric (adjacent said -base, an upper grommetmember havin v a portion em- ;bedded in ,the ,body ,and ya portion ,projecting through the opening in the baseand through the fabric, ,-and [a lower grommet member fitting over said projecting partsof. theupper grommet unember and, lyingagainst; the; fabridlsaidl gromrnet members. being. pressed-into permanent. enugagementwith each ,other.

2. An,umbrellastructure;comprising, a bodyin ;the 1 form. of a hollow circular umbrella ferrule having-fi enlarged transverse bas withla, circudar opening therein, .a. fabric adjacent said base, an upper.- grommet ,member having.v a, portion em- ..bedded in the bodyand a plurality Iof .angularly spaced prongs projecting through theopening in gthe -base and through the fabric, .an dflanlower grommet rnember fitting oversaid prongs and lyingagainst the, fabrio,.-said igrommet members g being pressed into per-manent, engagement with eea w t e .3.;:-An umbrella; stnuctura; comprising, abody in the form .-,of a hollow circular -umbrellaw ferrule hayi-nga[cylindricalpocket near its upper end a d-an;enlarged transverse base with acircular p n th rein a iabrictadia ntsaidb s t-an cnpperg-grom -net member =-having a portion 'em- -,bedded-;in -.the body and aplurality oft-angularly .spaced prongs projecting through the opening in the-base and through-thefabric, a lowengromme -memb '-i .it n s v es i e one a d 1 iee 9" 2,350,227

against the fabric, said grommet members being pressed into permanent engagement with each other, and a shank passing through the grommet members into the cylindrical pocket.

4. An umbrella structure, comprising a body in the form of a hollow circular umbrella ferrule having a cylindrical pocket near its upper end and an enlarged transverse annularly corrugated base with a circular opening therein, a fabric adj acent ;;s,aid=-base, anrupper grommet; member mhaving a portion embedded inuthe body and a plurality of angularly spaced prongs project'ng rthrough the opening in the base and through the fabric, ..,a .lo wer grommet member conformin lto the contour of the base fitting over said prongs andlyingagainst the fabric, said grommet members being pressed into permanent engagement "with each' other, and a shank passing through the grommet members into the cylindrical pocket.

5. An umbrella structure, comprising a hollow ,body; in. the, form; oflan umbrella, ferrule, having ,a transverse base withpa circular opening, therein, .,an upper, grommet rrnembertpermanently .afixed ,to saidbody and having acylindrical portion. with an outer diameter less than that of said opening extending, below ,the ,base .01, ,the. .bo dy,, and, forming an annular space, adapted lto receive ao cover fabric, ,and, aelowery grommetmember, havingea short cylindrical portion, fitting the cylindrical portion, of.v the; upper...grommet,member.- and en tering sa-id,annu1ar;space, said mmmet members being, pressed, into,permanent,v enga ement with .each other.

6. An umbrella structure comprising a, hollow .body in; the .form;of,an ,umbrella ferrule, having a :transverse basewith a, circularhopenin therein, a p e me member, permanen lyzaifixed to; said body, and having a cylin drical; slitted ;por-

tion with an outer diametenlessthan,thatof said opening-extending, below the base .of the bodyiand forming an annular,,spacenadaptedsto receivea cover fabric, and a lower grqmmetumemberhavingia short cylindrical 'portiom fittingthe cylin- .;drical ;-p0rtion-ofijthe ,upper grommet member and entering said annular spacessaid grommetmembersl,being pressed into-permanent engagement :with each other.

DAVID.-.M. ,.COHEN.

REFERENCES QITED *Thefollowing -referenlcestare ot record in the fileof this patent:

l UNITED S ATESPBA'LEN S Number Name ?'Date :364;391 'Amies ..-'J;une:7,i1887 1,136,806 Hout -rAprxyZO; 1 915 :2;210;959 Hollander .Iunez14;ri938 $2,123,722 rfllichtenfeld et,al. ',*J'uly-:12, r938 Goldstein May 30, 1M4 

